Hello from Houston!

Orientation is underway in Houston. The other 24 teachers from the country are really interesting! I was able to practice my Arabic with Nora, a teacher from Virginia. She lived in Egypt for 9 years. Dwayne from Winona is also from Minnesota. He has established sister schools throughout the world, and hopes to do the same with students in Saudi Arabia. I had lunch today with teachers from Washington and Kentucky. They helped me pick out the adapter I needed to plug my electronics into when we're in the Kingdom.

Tomorrow we will be going to the Aramco headquarters in Houston to get some more program basics. There we will be briefed by former participants on topics varying from community outreach to class-curriculum implementation. Still some prep to do, but it's more exciting every day!

Stay tuned! It's only going to get more exciting from here on out.

(If you have questions...post them and I will answer them in future posts!)

South Washington County Bulletin Article

Click on the following link to read Toni Lambert's article on my upcoming trip:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ojh/depts/soc/senrick/Saudi%20Arabia/bulletin.htm

One Month and Counting...

With this entry I officially start my blog on my Saudi Arabia Trip. Already in preparation I have read from James Wynbrandt's A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, particularly the sections on Muhammad's life in the Kingdom and modern, 20th century history. I have also read articles from the Arab Times and National Geographic. I have been listening to the Pimsleur Arabic CDs and can say good morning, please, thank you, and other helpful phrases. I sent in both my passport and Saudi Arabian visa application and am anxiously awaiting the official pass to visit the country. I am in contact with a few other teachers, including past and present participants, and we've discussed our backgrounds, teaching styles, follow-on plans and curiousities about the trip. One month from today I will be starting this journey...and I can't wait! I hope that people will tune in to this blog to hear my perspective on Saudi Arabia.